New Va Pain Medication Policy

[DickC]

I have been on Tramadol for 10 years and now going cold turkey. I ran out of meds and I can't get refilled without a new perscription from my doc who quit about 3 weeks ago. This withdrawll is a bitch but I can guarantee that when I get through this I will NEVER go back on this meds. Not sure what I will do about the pain. I have tried marijuana butter but got no relief (and at this point I don't care if I fail a UA). Just venting as the last 2 days have been hell and I don't expect the week to get any better.

[vet201060]

Its funny since I called and threatened my Dr. they switched me to a different Dr in same office and he is prescribing me more than what I was taking. Was 4 a day. After they got my new MRI they did all this so now I am getting by taking the pain meds everyday.

[Vync]

The VA sometimes requires opiate pain medicine contracts to be signed by patients. The plan restricts pain meds to being given by a single VA physician. If you get any type of opiate pain medicine, in any form, from a non VA doc, they cut you off. It's a clear cut violation of the patient's bill of rights and makes you feel like you are a criminal, even if you do not violate the rules.

[rpowell01]

I've been on opiates since late Oct, early November 2013. I ask for the lowest dosage and was given Oxycodone. About 2 months ago I started noticing issues with it as it was getting me sick and from the first pill it really only lasted very short term. I didn't like that so as part of the monthly pain level form we have to fill out I requested something longer lasting. My PCP ordered Morphine Sulphate which does help but I am now having a totally different issue with this med. I can only sleep 5 hours at a time, stay up for a few hours then back to sleep I go. Its been like this for 3 weeks straight and I cannot find anything that will help. I know the Morphine will cause me to sleep but to wake up at 2-3am every morning then back to bed at 8am then up around 3pm then back to bed at 8pm is getting old. Its a non-ending rotation.

I don't drink alcohol and have drank in a long, long time (19 years). I don't want to go this route as it doesn't nothing than hurt the body worse. I've tried the ZZZ Quil (spelling) but that doesn't help. I've tried Benedryl and that didnt' help.

I know I've went into depression again and I can't help this because this year has been the worse ever. 24/7 pain in my legs and feet for three straight months and I finally get relief for a few day down here in Florida. All this rain hurt me severly.

My dad takes sertraline and he said it helps. I've asked my PCP to see if he can order that for me but he stated I had to see a counselor to get it first ordered then he can refill it. Hopefully I can get some of this.

Does anybody here take sertraline? If so does it help...

[ourdoc]

Instead of Morphine sulfate you might ask your PCP to try Fentanyl patches. You change them every 72 hours and don't feel them at all, you just start to feel when they run out if you forget to change them. Its also less destructive to your body than Morphine. 50mcg an hour is roughly equivalent to 120 mg a day of morphine. They come in 12, 25, 50, 75 and 100 mcg. Just make sure your doctor prescribes the correct dosage for you. I've been using them for 10 years now with no change in strength and they still work very well. The only problem I have found is them falling off long before they are due to come off, and this is caused by sweating. But I have found through Amazon of all places, a mere $30.00 a year will buy you a box of 100 Tegaderm film, (the same thing they put over IV's now) to hold the patch on. I go into the pool daily for therapy, and they never fall off with those over them. And a box of 100 is good for 300 days, so it is cheap.

[rpowell01]

Well they are going to send me back to pain management to have my dosage increased. I am going to ask them to give me the Oxycodone back because with it I slept great.